New best practice guide published on reducing indirect emissions in cities and regions, FHNW School of Business

Background: Indirect emissions are often neglected

The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time and requires drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Many European cities have already formulated reduction targets, including Basel, which aims to achieve ‘net zero’ by 2037. However, the targets usually only take direct emissions (Scope 1 and 2) into account. Indirect emissions (Scope 3), which occur outside the affected area along value chains, are not included in the calculations, even though they account for the largest share of total emissions.

Comprehensive comparative study on the European level

For the guide, the researchers interviewed representatives from 19 European cities that are already well advanced in their emission reduction efforts compared to the European average. In addition, seven organisations that support cities in their climate protection measures were interviewed. In total, the researchers conducted 26 interviews with 34 people – providing a broad basis for well-founded comparisons and practical recommendations.

Promising measures and challenges

The published Best Practice Guide lists concrete and innovative measures that cities and regions have already proven successful with. It shows that

- Only a few cities in Europe include the reduction of Scope 3 emissions in their climate targets.
- Successful projects rely on cooperation with the population, business, administration and civil society.
- Political and communication barriers make implementation difficult – further research is needed in this area.

The guide is publicly available and makes it clear that progress can be achieved even in areas that are difficult to grasp, such as Scope 3 – through cooperation, exchange and the courage to innovate.

Scope 3 Best-Practice Guide for Cities and Regions (PDF)